Topical Retinoid
Acne.org’s Real World Take
Works about the same as the other two topical retinoids, tazarotene and adapalene, and lands in the middle of those two when it comes to side effects. Should provide partial clearing, but comes with sensitivity when you first start using it. It probably won’t be a total game changer but it should help reduce acne.
Topical Retinoid
How to Get It
Have a dermatologist? Make an appointment to get this medication. Don't have a dermatologist? See The American Academy of Dermatology Physician Database to find one.
Used Tretinoin? Rate It:
Choose from 1 to 5 stars
September 1, 2010
Cons:
Slight dryness, possibility of bad IB (but not for me)
Overall, I'd say that if this product is used correctly, with the minimal amount being put onto skin, then results are bound to come sooner rather than later. My skin has many small pimples and I've never had cysts, so perhaps this explains the difference in my experience with others'.
August 30, 2010
Pros:
Finally, something that works! Retin-A Micro Gel 0.04% pump. Makes skin so bright/glow, smooth and Acne free!
Cons:
Skin can get a little flaky but a gentle scrub eliviates that. Initial breakout but after 2 1/2 - 3 months skin is sooooo much better!
I know the feeling of having Acne that is why I'm writing this review. Retin-A Micro Gel 0.04% pump is a God send. It has completely changed my life. I have been using it for 3 years now so trust me, it works! What I do during application is get a small pump on my finger and apply on my face into 4 sqaures, each "squared" area gets a small pump. So, for example, on my cheek I apply a small pump into each "square" of my cheek which amounts to four squares/four pumps. I don't literally put squares makrs on my face but parition it by appling the gel on each "square". I use this method all over my face, nose, forehead. I know how it feels, trust me! Get on Retin-A Micro Gel, notice I put gel because the gel version of Retin-A micro helps stop by face from getting oily. You will love it as much as I do. I think the initial breakout happens because it seems that Retin-A Micro gel first works on tightening the pore, helps stop oil production and also helps skin renewal. So, in the begining when it starts to tighten the pore all the oil that's trapped in the pore is the initial break out. When you get over the initial break out you will have smaller pores, acne free and brighter skin because of the tighter pores and skin renewal that this med helps with.
August 28, 2010
Pros:
Smoother looking skin. Dries pimples and brings them & tiny bumps to surface right away.
Cons:
Dented scars! Yes, ur not imagining, I got them too! I don't have space below, so will share this here: please look into the blue light which has a thread on acne.org [www.acne.org/messageboard/here-415nm-Enlux-LED-t156864.html]; very surprising promising fast results by all who bought it after one person reported excellent results. He has his own home light which is the strong one supported by research & the cost is cheap rather than the expensv lower level ones at spa [I'm thinking of buying
I just submitted a review but didnt have space so I want to add this info--my husband used this tretenoin cream too [Acretin] & now I am connecting the dots & remember there was a time I was getting frustrated, telling him I am seeing new pitted scars & stretch mark-like scars appearing on his face every day! Not exagerating; he has worse acne than me & I'm always looking at his face & noticed scars popping up and once I was telling him about it and the next day I see a new one! Unlike me, he was using other prescriptions at the same time. And, the idea that this was happening from his creams did not even cross my mind, but i was puzzled b/c unlike me he duznt touch his face & never pops anything & doesnt use a facial cloth which could be scratching him yet there's these scars actively happening on his cheecks. Only thing I could think of then was that b/c his pimples have been on his face for so long [same exact ones] that they were eating away at his flesh. But that didn't explain the ones that look like a stretch mark, just the dented round ones. Now, given the fact that I've gotten scars from tretenoin [Acretain] I can see that that's what could have happened to him too. I don't understand what is happening here; they say this is supposed to help scars so how is it causing scars for some people. I do have thin skin; maybe people w/ thin skin are more likely to get this, or maybe it's something else! All I know is it's a big thing; I can put up w/ anything else to get nice skin [the peeling, redness, initial flare up], but these permanent looking dented scars & stretch marks is unacceptable. I wrote this b/c I dont want anyone to get permanent scars when many of us r trying to get rid of the temporary red acne spots. I will continue to do home remedies, like honey [it's antibacterial] & especially the yogurt which fades redness & brightens, gives dewy skin. And as much as can afford, will get blue light @ spa [had 2 which helped] & thinking of buying my
August 27, 2010
Pros:
Cleared up face alot, really worth it in the end
Cons:
takes along time to work, IB is terrible
When I first started using retin A gel .025%, I was horrified by all the reviews on this sight of the terrible initial breakout. As expected, for the first like 6 weeks I used it my acne got worse and worse. Then suddenly, over the coarse of maybe 2 days, my acne almost vanished. The best thing I can reccoment to you is to KEEP WITH IT!! I was so close to quitting it because I couldnt see how something that made me break out so bad could work but then out of the blue my face became almost completely clear. i strongly reccomend this product to anyone with a little patience, don't just use it till your face is at its worst and then give up.
August 26, 2010
Pros:
clears up most acne
makes skin softer
lasts a long time
Cons:
makes face red
takes a long time to work
doesnt help with oilyness
i have moderate acne and was prescribed retin-a micro .04% about 3 months ago. it made me peel the first 2 weeks or so and then my face was just oily. it took 2 months to start seeing results. it helped clear up most of my acne, but i still broke out every once in a while. i would recommend this for people that dont have sensitive skin, because it will just make your face red. also, use the highest concentration available, because im sure i wouldve cleared up completely if i upped the concentration to .1%. but it made my face too red and didnt help with the oilyness, so i switched to the regimen yesterday. just stick it out for 3 months and it will work for you, but it may make your face red
August 25, 2010
Pros:
Clears skin
Fades dark spots and scars when nothing else works!
Makes skin very smooth and dewy
Fades wrinkles
Cons:
Initial ugliness!
Drying and peeling at first
Expensive (not cov by my ins)
Takes a little time to work
Ok, here is the skinny on this stuff! I was terrified reading some of the posts on here regarding an initial breakout. Who wants to break out when that's the reason you're using this stuff to begin with?!! The truth is, I didn't break out bad at all. I did get some pimples for the first couple of weeks but they were really up close to the surface and were gone in a day or two. It brings a lot of white heads to the surface, and I was stupid to try to go after some before they were ready, hence resulting in a huge monster the next day! Don't do that! My feeling is the pimples that came to the surface were going to erupt anyway, this just speeds up the process and therefore clears skin faster. You will get some peeling and redness, but mine was gone before a week, just make sure you use a good moisturizer and *gently* exfoliate when needed to get rid of flakes.
Here is the regimen my derm has had me on since May and I have not had a deep cyst or bad pimple since: AM: wash w/ Olay foaming cleanser
Tretinoin .1%- a pea size amount for first 5 weeks, then increased to about dime sized amount after that.
Cetaphil moisturizer (too greasy for me so I use an oil fee Kate Sommerville one instead, but good for when you're initally peeling from the Tretinoin because it won't burn)
Spironolactone (water pill) 50mg PM: wash w/ my derm's brand foaming sal/tea tree cleanser
Cetaphil moisturizer
Spironolactone (water pill) 50mg
My derm's own brand 20% benzoyl peroxide (comparable to Benzaclin but a little stronger)applied wherever you usually get zits, even if you don't have any at the moment. So, the combination of the water pill and tretinoin together has not only cleared my skin up, but has left it more beautiful than ever!
August 25, 2010
Pros:
-Fades red marks
-Makes my pimples come to a head
Cons:
-Dryness
-Makes my eyelids a little red and irritated (although most acne products do that to me at first so I guess I really can't complain)
First of all, I should mention that I've already been taking Bactrim for about 3 months, taking birth control for almost 5 months, and using BenzaClin nightly. My skin is, except for 2 small but painful pimples and 3 almost invisible bumps, clear. But that's only if you don't count the endless red marks all over my skin because any pimple I do get, I get a lasting spot on my face. I used this last night (Put on BenzaClin first, waited 15 minutes while I curled my hair, put this on, then 5 minutes later put on a sensitive skin lotion), expecting nothing but dry and painful flaky skin, like what happened last time. Wrong. Already after one day, my red marks are starting to fade, and my two ouchie pimples came to a head so I was able to pop them. One is already flat, the other slowly shrinking. Looking in the mirror this morning was a beautiful thing. I didn't look like someone had splattered me with red paint. Just pinkish spots. Beyond happy right now. I'm not saying this stuff is a miracle cream, because I have already been actively fighting my acne and I am using Atralin .05% for red marks only. So I'm not sure how this works if you have lots of acne. If you have light acne like I do, and are just trying to get rid of the marks, USE THIS PRODUCT. My skin is smoother even after one day. Try it. Use a pea-sized amount. You will love. I'm only going to use this 2-3 times a week for two weeks, then every other day for 2 weeks, and finally to daily. I don't want to shock my skin into hell. But really, guys. With Tretinoin, happiness is only an application away ;)
August 24, 2010
Pros:
-Did wonders for reducing hyperpigmentation
-Skin is more smooth & firm
Cons:
-First few weeks of inital breakout/redness can be very frusterating
-Must be extremely careful not to overuse it
I really urge people who are dealing with both hyperpigmentation & acne to try this product. After using Retin-A Micro .04% for two months, I noticed a drastic improvement in the dark marks I had, and was able to use less and less makeup as the weeks went by. No other product before has helped me with the discoloration at all. The side effects can be harsh at the beginning, but stay positive..It is so worth sticking to. Like all other acne medications, it may take more than just a few weeks for your skin to adapt and see full results. The key is to be very patient. And remember, less is actually more with this product. Given the choice, I can honestly say I would use Retin-A for years to come.
August 16, 2010
Pros:
Cleared my acne the first 5 months
Reduced red marks and scarring (though they were caused by the severe breakouts from tretinoin)
Simple to use- only used neutrogena fresh foaming cleanser 2x daily and tretinoin at night
Cream lasted about 2-3 months
Cons:
After 5 months of use, moderate acne again
Price
I reviewed this 5 months ago (same name- Jen from PBG) and was so pleased at the time because of my absolutely clear skin (save for the red marks). My hyperpigmentation/scarring has gone down greatly, however at around month 5 of use (it's now been 10 months) I started getting pimples again. Not small ones, inflamed pustules...moderate acne again. I did switch to a higher %, from .05% to .1% to make my red marks disappear faster, but I don't see how upping the dose would cause pimples...my conclusion is that the effects aren't lasting. I ran out of the cream and will now try to change my diet again (ate a lot of grains and fiber, apples and nuts back during my clear skin period), and I'm also trying baking soda. Tretinoin is a good short term solution, but I'm just displeased that my clear skin didn't last. I might start using it again, but if it didn't clear my skin the last 5 months...maybe it's time for something new.
August 14, 2010
Pros:
Took a long time, but finally cleared my skin.
Improves skin tone and overall texture.
Creates scars, but fades them as well.
Cons:
The initial breakout/purging stage is not fun.
It took awhile to see any improvement.
I waited six months before I reviewed this product, because I wanted to make sure I saw the full results before posting. I've always had clear skin until my late 20's and then I began to break out. It kept getting worse and whenever my period rolled around or I was stressed my face would erupt in painful pimples and cysts. Going through acne when you're in your 20's and everyone around your age has clear skin is pretty rough. So I researched and decided to try Retin A. I didn't want to pay to see a doctor and get a prescription so I bought it online on a reputable site I had heard about. I started with the 0.01% gel. After a week the purging stage began and my skin was MUCH worse than before. This lasted for 3 months! I basically didn't go out most of that time, except with close friends. I was disappointed that it wasn't working fast enough so I ordered the 0.025%, but they only had it in cream. Even though I had read that the cream is comedogenic, I decided to try it anyway. I switched between that and the 0.01% gel for about a month, and was still breaking out. Out of frustration I finally made a doctor's appointment and got the prescription for 0.025% Retin A gel by Ortho Dermatologics. Within 2 weeks of using it I stopped breaking out. Before, I would break out in several pimples every week, sometimes over 10 active ones at the same time. I would also get large painful cysts on my chin. In the past month I have had about 3 pimples total, and usually around my period. No more painful cystic acne on my chin. When I get a pimple, it comes to a head much quicker and therefore heals faster. I couldn't be happier with the results. My advice would be to get an actual prescription for Retin A instead of buying it online. I think if I would have done that in the first place it wouldn't have taken 5 months to see any results. You MUST be patient on this med, it may take months to work but when it does it is SO worth it
Pros:
Having used Retin-A 0.01% Gel for a week now, I have been startled at the speed of my recovery. Other than a couple of new pimples, my skin tone has improved, existing pimples have dried out and my skin is generally improved. I have experienced no redness, however dryness around my mouth/chin area is present, but this is alleviated with moisturiser.